I watched the movie "Elf" last night. I'd forgotten how much I love it. Of course, if the phone rings at work today I'll be super tempted to say, "Buddy the elf, what's your favorite color?"
My friend Casey and his boyfriend started a knitting circle, and the first meeting was last night. I went to that, which was really fun. It was at a local coffee shop, just a few blocks from my apartment, where my friend Lucy works. So in that respect, it was actually perfect because it's a place I know and love, where I'm almost guaranteed to run into at least one person I know, and even when the temperature is below zero the walk is kinda pleasant. (Yes, walking can be pleasant even when it's cold.) Mike, Casey's boyfriend, showed me how to do a new pattern, although I'll have to wait to try it out because I still need to finish the scarf I'm working on, and then the matching hat.
Since there are only so many people I know who would want/need a homemade scarf (and most of them I've already given something to) I've decided to start making them for local charities. There's so much need everywhere, but winters are so long and so dangerously cold up here that it's important to have good quality, warm things. I got in touch with the professor of the anthropology class I took last fall to ask which charities around here will need things. I don't really have anything to donate yet, but just knowing that I can and will, and now where to donate, feels great. And as I get better at knitting, I can start making things like socks and mittens.
I only have one project that I want to knit for myself. A scarf and matching hat in colors I already have. And I don't feel bad about this because I've only kept two things for myself that I've ever made, and I've been crocheting since I was ten. (The knitting is a really recent thing, because I realized I could do more with knitting, and it makes a tighter and therefore warmer weave.)
This week at work we're giving out free cookies, coffee, tea and hot chocolate because of finals. For the past two weeks all of the students have been walking around with hunted, frantic, or dazed looks, and I'm constantly overhearing, "Man, I've only gotten six hours of sleep this whole week." Ouch. I'm glad the coffee and cookies are helping. And I keep reminding people that it will all be over with in a couple of days.
I'm so excited to go home. As in, so excited that I can't really listen to much of the Christmas music I love because it makes me ache to be home. I did get to go Christmas caroling with friends, though. We went around to the family housing and student apartments to spread a little Christmas joy. It was so much fun. And cold! The night we chose was down around -15, so we had to duck into one of the dorms for a bathroom break and warm up. I did a duet with my friend Mitch, though. We sang "Baby it's Cold Outside". He's such a good singer, and he'd been wanting to do that one with someone all night. So I agreed to sing it with him and we hammed it up. So fun.
Then, on Sunday, Shane and I had a small holiday potluck with friends. That made me really happy, seeing everyone hanging out and talking. It was also the last thing I really get to do with Spencer before he leaves for Scotland. He'll be in Soldotna until he leaves in early February, but I won't get to see him. I think it will be a great experience for him, though. In a lot of ways I wish I had gone on exchange somewhere, but it would have cost too much and I didn't want to go somewhere without Shane. Oh well. My brother was telling me about a program that allows people to go to places like France to teach English. Maybe I'll do that at some point. Hopefully I'll do that.
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